Safe Kids Program Hits Remarkable Milestone

It was reported by the Auto Channel today that Safe Kids Buckle Up, the child passenger safety program of Safe Kids USA sponsored by General Motors and Chevrolet, has arrived at a most significant landmark that no one has ever did: the Safe Kids Program had its one million child safety seats ensured for correct installation.

"A Safe Kids child seat inspection provides hands-on training for parents and caregivers. At about 30 minutes per inspection, the milestone we are celebrating today represents more than 500,000 volunteer hours -- or 57 years of one person working around the clock. Our thousands of volunteers are the backbone of Safe Kids Buckle Up and they work tirelessly to help make sure the children who come to a checkup event are safer when they leave than when they arrived," says Mitch Stoller, president and CEO of Safe Kids Worldwide.

Today, the one millionth seat will be tested out along with some safety car parts at an event at the Los Angeles Sports Arena. The occasion is open to everyone and 150 kids from the Los Angeles Urban League Head Start and State Preschool are listed to have their seats examined. Furthermore, almost 200 additional car seat checkup programs are being apprehended during the weekend at Chevrolet and other GM dealerships and at district locations across the U.S. territory in celebration of the millionth seat milestone.

"Keeping all children safer in vehicles is one of our top priorities," said Nicole R. Nason, administrator for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. "Programs like Safe Kids Buckle Up have helped to change the culture of car seat safety in the United States and have been essential in protecting our most precious passengers."

Major development to this safety features and other car parts have been completed since 1997 when the program tested its first car seat. Figures from NHTSA revealed a 25 percent plunge in vehicle crash deaths for children under the age of 5 from 1997 to 2006.

"Safe Kids USA and General Motors have been leaders in child occupant protection. As we have said before, the Safe Kids Buckle Up program has given families across the country the peace of mind that comes with knowing how to properly secure their children in a vehicle. Checking a million seats through the Safe Kids Buckle Up program has likely resulted in hundreds of lives being saved because of the proper use of car seats and booster seats," says Mark V. Rosenker, chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board.

Anthony Fontanelle is a 35-year-old automotive buff who grew up in the Windy City. He does freelance work for an automotive magazine when he is not busy customizing cars in his shop.